We are having a problem with Baxter pooing indoors at night. It's happening more frequently lately, although if I'm honest looking back there was never a time when we could confidently say he was housetrained at night. He is now about 18 months old, and we've had him for six months. He always goes in the same place, although we shampoo the area afterwards to get rid of any smell. Luckily, because he eats mainly kibble the poos are quite dry so not too messy to clear up. The routine at bedtime is usually me going into the garden with him, and standing shivering while he runs round and barks at next door's lights - eventually if I'm lucky he will do a wee, but never a poo. He won't do anything on the lead unless he is desperate. He is fine during the day, and will ask to go out when he needs to. Any bright ideas how we can break the habit?

1) Play with him in the garden! Sounds odd and distracting but activity usually gets things moving so it may encourage him to do a poo. I used to have to do this with one of mine last thing.

2) Look at mealtimes vs. poo times - sometimes shifting the time for the evening meal can help.

3) Look at what you're feeding him as well - many foods have fillers in (usually cereals) that can create extra poo so a switch of food might help, depending on what he's on now.

4) Restrict access to where he's going. IME shampooing doesn't help much once they've got a preferred spot, and it's necessary to prevent them being able to get to it for quite a while to break the habit.

5) Get up in the night and let him out, first a short while before he would normally do it then, after a couple of weeks (so he gets used to the idea that you're going to let him out), start to gradually push back the time that you get up. Once he knows you're on your way, he should start to hold it until you appear, and you can slowly creep it back to normal getting-up time.

What time is he fed in the evening? You could try feeding him earlier in the day, so he has time to digest his food, and then give him a small bedtime treat.I'd also use a specific enzyme based cleaner where he poos - I had a similar problem recently and was recommended Zyban on here, which has worked extremely well.

It sounds as if you may also need to time your visits to the garden when next door's dog isn't out - although if it is an outdoor dog, you might have to resort to a short road walk in the evening.It sounds like a habit has formed, and he thinks he's doing the right thing, bless him, so you need to change the routines.

What time is he fed in the evening? You could try feeding him earlier in the day, so he has time to digest his food, and then give him a small bedtime treat.I'd also use a specific enzyme based cleaner where he poos - I had a similar problem recently and was recommended Zyban on here, which has worked extremely well.

It sounds as if you may also need to time your visits to the garden when next door's dog isn't out - although if it is an outdoor dog, you might have to resort to a short road walk in the evening.It sounds like a habit has formed, and he thinks he's doing the right thing, bless him, so you need to change the routines.

Bringing dinnertime forward worked for us. It also gave the dogs a chance to become more'regular' as their mealtimes are now tied to the clock, instead of to when we eat.

What time is he fed in the evening? You could try feeding him earlier in the day, so he has time to digest his food, and then give him a small bedtime treat.I'd also use a specific enzyme based cleaner where he poos - I had a similar problem recently and was recommended Zyban on here, which has worked extremely well.

It sounds as if you may also need to time your visits to the garden when next door's dog isn't out - although if it is an outdoor dog, you might have to resort to a short road walk in the evening.It sounds like a habit has formed, and he thinks he's doing the right thing, bless him, so you need to change the routines.

We actually started feeding him LATER a few months ago when he was pooing regularly at night. I guess we could try different times, to see what works best. It's not a dog next door - they are relatively new neighbours who had a lot of work done before they moved in, and he became fixated on the house with all the workmen coming and going. Additionally, they now have a burglar alarm which flashes, and laser Christmas lights. I like Nikirushka's idea of playing with him - we'll have to get a luminous ball though!

This morning my OH happened to be awake at 5 o'clock, so he got up and let Baxter out - nothing. He let him out again at his usual time of 7 o'clock - still nothing. So it is clearly habit rather than him not being able to hold it in. Still, at least there was nothing to clear up this morning.

What time is he fed in the evening? You could try feeding him earlier in the day, so he has time to digest his food, and then give him a small bedtime treat.I'd also use a specific enzyme based cleaner where he poos - I had a similar problem recently and was recommended Zyban on here, which has worked extremely well.

It sounds as if you may also need to time your visits to the garden when next door's dog isn't out - although if it is an outdoor dog, you might have to resort to a short road walk in the evening.It sounds like a habit has formed, and he thinks he's doing the right thing, bless him, so you need to change the routines.

I fostered a dog that did this, tried bringing the last meal forward but Harriet still pooed over night, after 2 weeks I moved the last feed later, success, she went through the night.

You may need to try different methods, try earlier first and if after a couple of weeks he is still doing it change it until later, hopefully one may work.

Dogs can smell things when we can't including when they have toileted, normal household cleaners may take the smell away from us but dogs can still smell it. Biological washing liquid or white vinegar or get something from the pet shop should work. I use white vinegar as I always have it in.

Winston is just 2 and touch wood has not pooed overnight for a few weeks now. He's always done it on odd nights all his life. We tried reducing his bedtime feed and encouraging his bedtime poop on the bedtime walk, but honestly I think he's just late maturing on being able to wait all night.

My dog doesn't really like pooing in the garden, she vastly prefers to do it on a walk. So we take a short walk up the road just before bed every night & that does the trick. She genuinely wouldn't go if I tried to make her go in the garden as I think even a 5 minute walk 'gets her moving' in a way that a quick trip to the garden doesn't. Her poos are now very synced with her 2 daily walks morning & evening

Winston is just 2 and touch wood has not pooed overnight for a few weeks now. He's always done it on odd nights all his life. We tried reducing his bedtime feed and encouraging his bedtime poop on the bedtime walk, but honestly I think he's just late maturing on being able to wait all night.

That's interesting - Baxter is about 19 months, and being a stray for the first year of his life it could be that he's just taking a bit longer to mature.

QUOTE(Susieh @ 22nd Dec 2016, 7:36 pm)

My dog doesn't really like pooing in the garden, she vastly prefers to do it on a walk. So we take a short walk up the road just before bed every night & that does the trick. She genuinely wouldn't go if I tried to make her go in the garden as I think even a 5 minute walk 'gets her moving' in a way that a quick trip to the garden doesn't. Her poos are now very synced with her 2 daily walks morning & evening

We have started taking him round the block at bedtime, and he usually does a wee but not a poo. I think we just need to persevere - it's no fun for my OH though, as he's usually the one that has to clear it up!

If it's worse recently it could be he's feeling cold at night now the weather has got worse. I'd take him for a walk at bedtime to make sure he goes if he needs to. Could he sleep in your bedroom where at least he would disturb you if he needed to go out and you could let him go? If he is warm and with you, he may actually settle better for the night anyway and not disturb you to go out at all. Even if he does, anything is better than waking up to a mess to clean up.....for me anyway!